Saving Gray
by all10xs
Summary: All Gabriel wanted was a little notoriety and respect. All Sylar wants is blood. In a world where Gabriel is dominant, who will win, and will another villain emerge? Updated with Chapter 10!
1. Awakenings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Heroes, in any way shape or form. Still trying to come up with that kind of money!**

** _A/N: The parts during speech in brackets these are other people's actions. _**

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**Chapter One- Awakenings**

"Oh my god. I think he's awake," was the first thing Sylar heard when he woke up. Shaking his head his vision swayed into focus. He was in a room. No, not just any room, his old apartment. He jumped up. He didn't remember coming back, and re-decorating it… He'd destroyed all of these things. He looked himself in the mirror. He was wearing pajama pants, a t-shirt and his hair- his hair was just as long as it had been before Mr. Bennet had had it shaved.

"Yes! He's up!" he heard, this voice quite like the last. It was high, and shrill, and very excited.

He looked outside of his room, where about five girls all looked up at him, eyes bright. Some were teenagers, and some weren't. One of them, a shy looking brunette teenager, fainted. His jaw dropped without him noticing. He was too confused. He backed into his room and tried to telekinetically close the door…

Nothing happened.

Angrily, he stormed back out, "What the hell have you done to me?"

They all stared back at him in starry-eyed wonder. A blonde girl stepped forward. She smiled nervously (more to herself), then looked at him concerned "I think he's in shock. Gabe, are you alright? You hit your head pretty hard."

"Hit my head? Gabe? MY NAME IS SYLAR!" He kept getting angrier and angrier as his head began to throb. He couldn't be just normal old Gabriel again. And what were all of these girls doing in his apartment? The blonde girl looked around.

"I think you all'd better leave. Something's wrong. I'll figure it out," she advised. Once everyone had left, she walked over to him, "Okay, what's up with you?"

"My powers are gone. All of them! I- And who are you? Why'd you call me Gabe?" he gasped, _actually_ going into shock.

"Hmm… Maybe I'd better call Peter. Or Mohinder. You're having false memories, now…" before Sylar could say anything, she whipped out a cellphone and hit a number, "Hey, Mohinder, It's me- come quick. Yeah, it's about Gabe. I think something's wrong. He keeps asking about his powers. Yeah. Plural. He insists his name isn't Gabriel either… Okay, I'll be waiting."

Sylar silently stared at the wall. Where was he? Who was this girl? Why didn't he have any powers? After all he'd worked for… it was gone. He had so many questions. The girl looked at him curiously.

"Do you remember- anything? Obviously you know about the powers, but- anything else?"

"What am I supposed to remember?" he inquired tentatively. He didn't want to give too much about himself away.

"Mohinder- the geneticist? Peter- black hair, kind of emo-looking?" she prompted, and Sylar nodded, "You saving the world?"

Sylar looked up at her. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her, "I- I saved the world?"

"Well, actually, it was you _and_ Peter. You used your abilities and saved us all," she said, smiling admiringly at him, "Of course, after all that, you- you had to…" She looked away, nervous.

The door opened. Mohinder entered, looking flushed, "I ran all the way here. Please tell that it's worth it." He looked at the girl, then at Sylar. Sylar looked up at him and stood.

"From what I can tell, he's suffering from some sort of malfunction in the brain. I don't think he remembers me, but- he says he knows you and Peter," the girl told Mohinder thoughtfully, "By the way- I'm Lizzie." This time she addressed Sylar, nodding, and adding a small smile.

"Tell us about yourself, then," Mohinder told Sylar, "Who are you?"

"My NAME is Sylar. This was my apartment, until about six and a half months ago," he informed them, unintentionally coming across as a proud six-year-old telling his parents about his imaginary friend. They nodded, obviously not really listening.

"Definitely an inhibitor malfunction," Mohinder concluded.

"Do you think the tumor's gotten worse?" Lizzie wanted to know. Sylar staggered backward and landed on his sofa. Of course. They'd given him an inhibitor. But what was this about a tumor?

"What have you done to me?"

They looked at him again, and grabbed his arms to pull him up. Just then, another person entered. Peter. But he was different. Darker, somehow, in mannerism. He glanced at the sight of them lifting Sylar to his feet.

"Gabe, what's goin' on here? What's wrong? Is it your tumor again?" There it was again. That damned tumor.

"Okay, I think we're going to have to explain what happened again to Gabriel. He doesn't remember anything much." Lizzie suggested. She swept her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her messenger bag off the floor.

"Well, shouldn't you let him sit down for it?" Peter said, and Sylar collapsed back unto the sofa, and glanced at them all, waiting to hear what they thought had happened to him.

"About six-and-a-half months ago you discovered your ability, with the help of my father. Your ability was to manipulate the fates of people around you. at this, Sylar was confused even more- his power had been to know how things worked Soon after, heroes began dying at the hands of the Linderman group. Somehow, they'd worked out the code before we had. A month later, my father was killed by one of their operatives. I took over, coming all the way from India to figure things out. You met Peter through me, after hearing of my father's death. Peter and you took off to Texas soon after and saved a girl, Claire, from Linderman's men and Ted Sprague, a radioactive man. Unfortunately, Ted was captured and was going to be used as a bomb to destroy the world. You and Peter again worked together and- well- stopped it," Mohinder said. Sylar looked for more explanation.

"But- uh- then you developed this weird brain tumor in your head from using your power too much. We had to put an inhibitor in or else you'd die. That worked, until- now," Peter summed up.

"So- you're telling me I actually saved the world?" Sylar asked, unbelieving. Peter was acting like some sort of friend, and those girls had seemed to admire him.

"Gabe- everyone loves you. You and Peter are all over the news. Now we have to work out why you forgot everything. Um- we should probably go get an MRI done. See what his brain looks like. It might explain a few things…" Lizzie sighed, looking at the time. Mohinder pulled out his cell phone and walked into another room.

Meanwhile, a battle raged. Gabriel was emerging and fighting the sick, twisted mind that was Sylar. Gabriel meant something here. He was respected and loved. He had helpful friends, not powers. Sylar screamed silently- he wanted power. He wanted blood. Gabriel. Pushed him away swiftly, locking him down in the back of his mind. It was Gabriel who said the next thing.

"I'm okay." Lizzie looked at him, and Peter looked confused for a moment. He turned to look at the newly returned Gabriel.

"Lizzie, I need to talk to him for second, could you step outside? And take Mohinder with you," peter instructed, looking at Gabriel, no, scrutinizing him. Once Lizzie's straight blonde hair was out of sight, Peter asked, "Gabe, who's Sylar? You keep thinking- it's like listening to Niki and Jessica fight. That's uh- another fellow Hero."

"Sylar is the man that took me over six months ago. Actually, he's a monster. He- he likes power," Gabriel explained quietly. Peter's eyes widened a little. He took a seat across from Gabe.

"You've killed? Wherever it is that you're from? You're the bad guy?" Peter looked at Gabe, who was staring at the floor. That was answer enough for both of them. Peter thought hard.

"But I- I didn't want to kill them. Sylar did," Gabriel replied. He looked Peter in the eyes.

"It's funny. You- well, the you from here, in this universe, you mentioned him once. You and Mohinder were in this huge fight over what to do next. You punched him, and I restrained you. It wasn't like you at all. And you said, 'I was angry. I'm a different person, almost, when I get angry' afterwards. I didn't know what you meant really until now."

"He's gone. Sylar's- gone. This is what I've always wanted. To be known for something I did. Sylar's way was to kill everyone and steal their powers Peter cringed and this way- I like this way better," Gabe stated, "Peter, right? You can copy powers, if I remember correctly. Make sure he stays down. I don't want him hurting anyone." Gabe looked around. He noticed it was much warmer. The walls were a light shade of cream, and paintings were hung on them. Paintings of nothing, really. Abstract. One in particular caught his eye. It had a straight line going down the middle of a circle. One half was red and dripping, _like blood_, thought Sylar. The other half was white, _like salvation,_ pondered Gabe.

Whatever had happened to him in the other world was blown away. Gabriel was in control, and Peter was on his side. Gabriel Gray sighed. He was back.

_A/N: I know I'm in the middle of like, five stories right now, but I keep getting inspired from different things. I've always wanted to do a Sylar fic. Especially one where Sylar is a good guy. fangirl squee Please review!_


	2. Two Sides of the Mind

**_Disclaimer: I still don't own heroes. If I did I'd make there be an episode every week!_**

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Chapter 2

Liz Haines was exhausted. Her head hurt like hades, and despite the aspirin she took, it did nothing. Every time she looked at something too bright, her head throbbed. It was the worst migraine she'd ever had. The rest of them said it would seem near to unbearable when her power finally kicked in. She hated to tell them they weren't wrong.

This day wasn't going too well so far, so it seemed. First her good friend and mentor, Gabriel, had flipped out and almost killed her. He could have killed her in any way, with his power. Fate-bending, Peter called it fondly. Gabriel was far more experienced with it than Peter was, and Peter had needed him to use his power to stop the explosion.

But Liz wasn't there when all this had happened. Mohinder had just recently found her. The world was still far from perfect, despite all of the public awareness now drawn to them all. Not that the public knew too much, however. All they knew was that a few people had stopped a giant explosion (which was already in progress) and saved thousands of people. They didn't know how, and Mohinder intended to keep it that way.

"Well, we're all set. He's going to have an MRI tomorrow at 5. We just need to talk to him in the meantime," Mohinder told Liz outside Gabe's apartment. Liz nodded, massaging her temples, "Liz, are you alright? Is it the headaches again?"

Liz exhaled, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just adjusting. Mohinder, what exactly is Gabe's power? I mean, I know he can change people's fates, but, how does he do it? Issac _paints_ what he sees… What does he see when he uses his power?"

Mohinder paused, thinking, "Well, from what I understand, it depends on a person's willingness to change. He can change someone- to an extent. And I think he can only see the outcomes of certain events. The overall good or bad results, not what it takes to get there."

"Oh. Okay. That's kind of weird. Have you figured out mine yet?" she asked, hoping he had.

"I'm sorry, Liz, I haven't had any time to-," he began. Liz waved it away, knowing that she'd figure things out soon enough. It had been a hard few weeks for them all. Mohinder had found Liz shortly after the near-explosion. She'd been a nervous wreck, shy and socially backward. At a young age, she'd been put under the Witness Protection Program. Now, she knew she had nothing to fear, but still kept her old name and look (bleached hair). She was 22 years old now and still learning so much.

She'd met other "fellows" like Matt Parkman, who could hear thoughts. He was fun to be around, and generally very warm. In a crisis, he tended to make very emotional decisions, though, which wasn't the best. Liz had quickly gotten over her fear of other people when they'd eagerly taken her in. In fact, she had completely changed.

The door opened again behind them and Peter came out, followed by Gabriel who looked- well, it was hard to say how he looked. It was a medium between apprehensive and nervous. Liz looked at Peter inquisitively.

"It's okay. Um- Gabe's okay, I mean," Peter explained. Mohinder and Liz automatically looked at Gabriel, as if picking him apart with their eyes as Humans often do.

The truth was Gabriel wasn't too sure how to explain to them why he'd snapped that morning. It was obviously a strange behavior for the Gabe in this universe. But that wasn't what was nagging at his mind. Peter had been so helpful, even after he'd discovered that his best friend (apparently that's what they were here) was actually a serial killer from a different universe and that his real best friend had disappeared. But why?

Gabriel couldn't remember how on earth he'd gotten here. It was too strange. One moment Sylar had successfully escaped Peter Petrelli (was it truly the same Peter standing next to him?) and the next- he was here. It was all slightly unnerving. Was this a power? Peter had explained to him how his power worked, or the basics, rather. It was a strange power… But very useful. Not that he could use his power, of course, due to Mohinder's clever little inhibitor. Sylar was still screaming inside; he wanted to rip the inhibitor out and make all beside him die in gaudy fashions- something original and memorable.

_Be Quiet, Sylar_, Gabriel commanded. The influences of the universe surrounding him were changing his character from slightly like his alter-ego to polar opposite.

**_Be quiet? Gabe, you were always the quiet one. I freed you. Never forget that I freed you_**, Sylar purred back. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. All the while, he was aware of Peter's stare. He could hear everything that was going on- all the conflict.

"Gabe- do you wanna go lie down? You know, because of your headache?" Peter asked him, covering for his shifty behavior.

"Uh- yeah, I think I will. Um- thanks guys. I think… I remember now. Prob'ly just a little amnesia or something. Inhibitor sickness or something," he babbled. Mohinder and Liz nodded.

"Well, Gabe, your appointment's tomorrow. I hope you feel better," Mohinder walked off with a small smile after this comment, leaving Liz to wave and smile widely, apparently consoled that her mentor was alright. She too left shortly afterwards and Peter and Gabe went back inside the apartment.

"Um- Gabriel, are you sure you're gonna be okay? You seem pretty conflicted yet. I can't let anyone get hurt. Even if it means that I'm going to have to restrain my best friend," Peter told Gabe with a fierce glint in his eye, "You're still the same Gabriel, I'm not concerned about that. But this Sylar part of your personality is what's changed. The Gabriel from here had him under control. You gave him a name, and you gave him power. Now he wants more. It's obvious why you had so much trouble with him."

Gabriel looked at the floor. **_Power,_** Sylar growled. Gabriel shook his head, angry at himself, "No! I can't let him take over like this! Not again. I feel like-,"

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Peter suggested, to a fervent nod, "I think you need to talk to Niki Sanders."

"Niki Sanders?" Gabriel asked, drawing a blank.

"She's not exactly like us- she has an alter ego. Her alter ego has super strength, and- she kills people. Now, of course, she's in a sanitarium- probably for the rest of her life. They have to give her drugs to keep her stable. So her alter ego, Jessica doesn't come back. Now, we just gave her an inhibitor, so she might be a little more responsive. But we can visit her."

Gabriel thought. Were Sylar in his own separate body, he would've rolled his eyes at his counterpart's reluctance. Annoyed, Gabe blurted, "Yes. I- I think that might help."

Peter looked at Gabriel. He would have to make sure this Sylar character didn't take over for an extended period of time. He was dangerous and outright sick. As Gabriel walked alongside him to the street below, Peter heard Sylar again, **_I'll never let you win, Gabriel. Never_**. Sylar's voice was a low growl- that of a lion about to eat her meal. And, even though Peter knew Sylar couldn't win here, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up.

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_A/N: Ok, I got a lot of questions about Gabe's power. I hopw this cleared some things up... _

_Oh, and as far as pairings go, I don't know yet. I might have some people flirt to get their way, of course, but I find that pairings drive certain groups of readers away. And I don't want that..._

_ R&R- Enjoy!  
_


	3. Remembrance

**_ A/N: Okay, I don't own it, blah, blah, blah- also, the scene with Niki is not meant to be a pairing- she's just being nice, alright?_  
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**Chapter 3- Remembrance  
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Dr. Florentine looked in through the window to his patient's room. She seemed to be calm, breathing normally, and, best of all, hadn't been talking to herself. He made a few adjustments to his chart. Recently a visiting expert, Dr. Mohinder Suresh had recommended his newly invented inhibitor to counter-balance her chemical instability in the brain, which caused a horrific case of Multiple Personality Disorder. She'd been convinced her dead sister was possessing her and making her extremely violent.

Since the operation, Miss Nicole Sanders had seemed relaxed and at peace. They'd been giving her smaller doses of the relaxant daily, and she'd reacted well.

"Hello, um- I'm here to see Niki Sanders?" Dr. Florentine heard a voice behind him. There stood two men, both with visiting ID Badges.

"Um- yes, of course. You are the ones who called earlier? Dr. Suresh's post-op people?" Dr. Florentine asked, to be sure.

"Yeah. We just need to check that her mental state is normal," Peter replied. Florentine nodded and let them in, leaving them alone with Niki. The blonde woman looked up, her eyes obviously struggling to stay open. The drugs they'd given her were very strong. She looked up at them and the corners of her mouths went up a little- she was smiling.

"You- you did a good thing… she's gone," she breathed with great effort. Peter smiled, obviously relieved.

"Good. You remember Gabriel Gray, right?" Peter asked her, and she slowly nodded. She looked at Gabriel with bloodshot eyes.

"Gabe- how are you? Is-," she broke off, swallowing, "Is i_he_/i back again?" Gabe stepped back a little. He'd told this woman?

"NIki- he's not really himself. Um- well, he's- he's not from this… this version of events.." Niki looked up at Peter again, her eyes flashing with confusion.

Peter preceded to inform Niki of everything that had occurred as Gabriel swallowed hard. Her tired voice had been so friendly and her eyes so kind toward him initially. Now and then, Niki sent him nervous glances. If Sylar's super-hearing abilities were still in tact, he was sure her heart would be racing. Sylar sensed his weaker counterpart's nervousness and reveled in it, forcing images of past victims into his head, knowing it would disturb him.

_iNo. That wasn't me, I didn't want that_,/i Gabriel thought. He saw Charlene Andrew's bright red hair, tainted with dripping blood. Remembered the terrified looks of Mrs. Walker, as she witnessed her husband's murder, the little girl, Molly, who he'd missed- only to come back for, again, unsuccessfully. Sylar's determination and power hungry attitude toward everything and everyone he encountered. ib**_You're not sorry. You never even cried…/i/b_**

Sylar knew, however, that Gabriel had wanted to cry. Even now, Gabriel held back tears as more faces and blood flashed before his eyes. They haunted him, courtesy of Sylar. The mastermind he'd created. Gabriel looked down at his hands. There was more blood on them than the eye would betray to him, it was invisible- guilt that had seeped through him. It stung in his veins.

Unknown to him, Peter had ceased his talking minutes ago, when Niki had croaked that something was wrong with Gabe. He knew this, of course, because he'd picked up the telepathic abilities. He walked over to his friend's form. He knew that even this Gabriel was almost like the real one. The one that belonged here.

"Gabe. Gabriel Gray, say something," Peter implored. There were tears down Gabe's face. Gabriel seemed desperate to say something, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.

Niki watched from her recovery bed, knowing exactly how Gabriel felt, even without Peter's empathic understanding. She waited, mustering all of her strength together, and sat up, putting her feet on the cold sanitarium floor. Peter quickly spun around, looking at her curiously, looking to see if it was Jessica or Niki who had control. Reassured, he walked over to Niki and helped her stand, "Careful," he warned, nurse instincts overtaking him.

She chuckled softly, "Screw it. I need to feel alive," she said, her eyes twinkling as she quoted one of her favorite teenage movies, "I've been mostly dead all day." Her eyes quickly grew sullen as she watched the tortured Gabriel fight away the memories created by his other identity. She sat on the ground next to him, for he had sunk to the ground.

"It's going to be okay, Gabe. I still have nightmares about Jessica- her killings," Niki consoled him. Gabe shook his head.

"All the blood… It- won't go away…"

Niki watched his face, his eyes wide in horror, cheeks glistening. His jaw trembled.

Gabriel closed his eyes the next instant, Sylar's insane growl taunting him. Peter grew extremely worried now, and shook his shoulders. Gabriel was pulled back into the world.

"Gabe. We need you to stay calm. You can't let Sylar win again," Peter explained to a shaken Gabriel.

"I know you're scared. I was too. I have to help you win this, Gabe. I only won because I had help," Niki's matted blonde hair swam before his eyes. She had hugged him, albeit weakly. She knew how it was.

"Thank you," Gabriel said, confidence strengthened. Niki released him and, with the help of Peter, walked back over to her bed. Gabriel quickly stood as well. He finally realized he'd been crying and without embarrassing himself even more, he wiped his cheeks with a hand.

Niki sighed and fell asleep on her pillow. Peter nodded, understanding, and turned to Gabe, "She says she's tired. And goodbye for now. We're coming back tomorrow, after your test."

Sylar had caused Gabriel a little emotional and mental chaos, something Sylar was gloating over. So what if empathic emo boy and drugged woman were helping him? He would find a way to fight them, and emerge as the victor.


	4. Writings in the Walls

**_A/N: for dislaimer, see previous chapters._**

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Chapter 4- The Writings In the Walls

"I don't believe it…" Mohinder stared at the MRI results. Liz looked up from her book. She hadn't yet read all of Activating Evolution, so she'd brought it with her to the scan.

"Mohinder, what?" she asked, wondering what on earth could make him so pale.

"The tumor's gone. Completely. It seems to have been completely dissolved by the inhibitor!"

Liz gasped, "Can he get the inhibitor out now? Please? I've been absolutely _dying_ to see him use his power!"

"Liz, that's not a good idea. Especially since it could bring the tumor back," Mohinder told her. She pouted. Suddenly she cried out in pain as she grabbed her head. Her eyes grew wide, then they closed.

"I think I know what my power is," she explained quietly, still clutching her head.

"Well, the good news is your brain activity is normal. But, the tumor's gone, so I'm not sure what happened with that," Mohinder told Gabriel. Gabriel swallowed. He was distracted for a minute by Liz, who was standing next to Mohinder and covering her eyes.

"Liz? Are you all right?" Gabriel asked, concerned. She nodded.

"She- uh- has supersight. It first came into effect today."

Gabriel remembered the pain Sylar (well, and him too) had been in with superhearing. Supersight must've been just as hard, if not harder. Sylar perked up in Gabe's mind, as he usually did around powered people.

"You're not taking the inhibitor out, right?" Peter asked, appearing out of thin air. Mohinder and Gabe both jumped.

"How long have you been here, and why must you keep doing that? That's the third time this week!" Mohinder said angrily. Peter shrugged.

"I needed to make sure of some things," he replied simply. The door opened. A brunette girl, a teenager, stood there, obviously nervous. Gabriel recognized her as the girl who'd fainted. She turned and promptly ran away. Mohinder, Peter, and Gabriel all looked at the swiftly retreating figure, confused.

"Anyway, no, we're not taking your inhibitor out. It might be a good idea to keep it in to ensure that your tumor doesn't return," Mohinder quickly recovered, continuing their conversation.

For some reason, Gabriel had an epiphany. He remembered the secret space behind the mirror. He had hid all of his frustration behind that door in his world. If it was even here, that's where the real Gabriel would have put all information about his life, even thought that maybe not even Peter knew. He would've outsmarted him somehow. Gabriel thought for a moment.

"Hey- I- uh- I just thought of something. Why don't you go see how Niki's reacting to her inhibitor. It might help you out," Gabe said. Apparently, Peter hadn't been listening to his thoughts. **_Wow, you're actually doing something interesting_**, Sylar mocked. Gabriel didn't really listen to the rest of the conversation going on around him, but somehow it resulted in all three of them leaving. Once they were gone, he walked over to the mirror and pushed it once, making it pop open.

The inside was a bit cleaner than in his world. It was dark, yellow, and still had the swinging lightbulb he'd once sworn to replace. He looked around. There was a table in the back, instead of his room. He shivered, remembering. This was the only place Sylar would let him take control, and all he could ever bring himself to do was fall back on his Catholic roots and write on the walls. He couldn't imagine what someone would've thought if they'd walked in. It had scared him so much. **_Blood scares you, doesn't it Gabriel?_** Sylar's eerie low voice crooned in his brain. Gabriel forced him away, still hearing Sylar's echoing cackle. On the table he spotted a book… a journal?

He grabbed it, hungry for answers. At that moment, both sides of his personality stopped fighting to read the book. He opened to the first page:

_I'm losing control. They just put the inhibitor in. That voice- in my head- is louder, somehow. I seem to get angry and lose myself in his anger. It's scary. Especially when Peter's around. I can't help but think- Why can't I have that power? It's a thirst for power that's taking me over. A thirst for blood. But I WILL stop this. _

Entry two:

_It's getting worse. Peter's helping me out, though. I don't think I can tell him what's going on just yet. It's just so difficult to explain. He could read my mind, but I think he'd tell Mohinder, who would in turn send me to that mental place where Niki's at. Oh, god… If he does anything- I'll never be the person I want to be. _

As soon as Gabriel finished reading, he heard Sylar laughing again.

"Sylar- For once… Do us both a favor- and get out of my head," Gabriel said.

"You want to be remembered, Gabe? Well, stop screwing up my work! Your name will be on everyone's minds for YEARS to come." Sylar fought his words out. Gabriel yelled.

"NO! I want to be the hero. Like Peter! Only-," Gabriel snapped.

"Don't even start. You want to be BETTER than Peter. We had a lame power, and I made us powerful. No publicity is bad publicity, dear, naïve, geeky, Gabe," Sylar retorted, with a sneer.

Gabe overtook Sylar. In this world, he was loved, adored, even. People knew his name. Sure, he might be second to Peter, but hadn't Peter needed Gabriel to stop the explosion? _Yes, _thought Gabriel. He grabbed the journal and strode out of the secret place.

Sylar was silenced. Gabriel's behavior was so- different. Noble, even. For just a moment, Sylar admired his counterpart's courage…

"Niki?" Mohinder asked. Peter was at Liz's house, helping her with her power, while at the same time learning to manipulate it himself. Suresh had let himself into the room. It was much more comfortable than that awful padded one she'd been in previously. Niki groaned. Mohinder came to her beside.

"Oh good- it's you. I thought I might be hallucinating," Niki said softly. She chuckled lightly. She looked like a train wreck- dark circles, matted hair… Mohinder almost didn't recognize her from the beautiful woman (or, arguably women) she'd been before. She retained most of her beauty still, but it was dimmed slightly by the drugs.

"Did Jessica come back?" Mohinder prompted. Niki shook her head.

"Did you know- Peter's visited me twice this week? He's so responsible," Niki remarked, smiling. Mohinder nodded.

"Did he tell you what happened to Gabriel?"

"He told me about Gabriel's little incident, yes. Of course, then he brought Gabriel by-,"

"Gabriel was here?" Mohinder wondered what had happened. Why hadn't Peter told him?

"Gabe's having a tough time. Going through the same thing I went through with Jessica. I guess we all have two sides to our mind," Niki reflected, not knowing she had slipped up and told Mohinder something new. He raised a slender eyebrow.

"Two sides to our mind? Gabriel? How so?" Mohinder hoped to hear something innocent, "He hasn't hurt anyone, has he?"

Niki looked confused, "Peter didn't tell you, did he?"

"Niki, what didn't he tell me?"

But Niki had realized what a mistake she'd made. Hopefully it wouldn't concern Mohinder too much. She collapsed on her pillow and pretended to fall asleep. Mohinder huffed and walked out- he had to find Peter before- well, before whatever this thing Gabe was going through had progressed any further.

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_**A/N: Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Leave reviews- make me happy. You'll be excited to know(or maybe you won't- I dunno) That this fic has been voted #1 Fic of the Month for March on 9th Wonders forums.**_


	5. Stream of Consciousness

_A/N: See previous chapters for disclaimer. Also, sorry this took so long. It's been up for a week on 9th Wonders Forums, but I couldn't get on to update on this site! Oh, and if you like this story, I'd love to get some votes in on top fanfic of the month on 9th Wonders! Sorry, couldn't help myself._

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**Chapter 5- Stream of Consiousness**

Peter didn't let her thoughts escape him. She was just so jittery! He'd only wanted to go see Gabe again after helping Liz out, and there she was, yet again. When she saw him, she ran away again, and Peter was determined to figure out her obsession. He'd been intrigued by her first thought, which was _Interesting twist of events. Gabriel._ Did she have a power?

_Mine. Not his. Stop! This isn't a sugar dream!_ she thought, leaving Peter confused, yet interested.

_No wonder she has nervousness problems,_ Peter almost laughed, and followed her through the endless crowds of NYC and into an apartment building- Liz's building. She went up a floor higher than Liz's and pulled out a key and let herself into her own apartment. Peter walked in, seeing as he was invisible, and found her collapsed, sobbing, on the floor.

_Wonder, Wonder, wonder! How did he get good? Murderer,_ she screamed inside her head, _I have to reverse. Go back to where I was. He stole it from me._

Peter was just plain staring at her. He never had liked stories written in stream of consciousness style. Normally, prominent thoughts were complete sentences, but this was gibberish! The girl could be no less than 19 and she was already stark raving mad!

_Wasn't like this there. Now I'm crazy! I only wanted different magic! Oh this is all mine, all my fault. I'm cursed!_

So she'd done something? Is that why she'd come over to Gabe's? She still saw Gabriel as Sylar- the murderer. She must have come from his world with himWhy hadn't anyone else? Peter snuck over to her purse. A credit card told him that her name was Rowan Tennyson.

The poor thing on the floor seemed so solt, so desperate. He wanted to help her, but instead, he retreated, leaving Rowan's shaking, sobbing figure on the floor. He almost immediately appeared outside Liz's apartment, which wasn't for long. He let himself in, to her shock.

"I thought you would at least have the decency to knock!" She said, shaking her head. She seemed much better today than the day before. They'd worked on their power again and she'd mastered it after only a few hours.

"Who's Rowan? Is she with us?" Peter inquired, to a smile.

"Rowan. Oh, she's a tough one. Rough childhood. Watched her mother's murder. By her father, no less. She was only eight when she was sent to live in a foster home. Mohinder found her a little after me. She has- oh, what was it now… Intuitive knowledge. That's it. All that brooding made her go crazy, apparently. I go up and talk to her sometimes. Well, actually, she babbles, I just listen. Why- what's wrong with her?" Liz replied, suddenly concerned.

"That's just the problem. I don't know… yet." Peter disappeared again and walked out. Liz looked around frantically, "Tell me what's wrong!" she shouted to thin air. Five seconds later, he hadn't responded, "Dammit. I hate it when he does that."

Mohinder opened Gabriel's door by forcing it open. When he went inside, he found Gabe in the middle of the living room floor, meditating. Mohinder's eyebrow shot up. Gabriel opened his eyes and hastily stood up.

"I- uh- it's not an ethnic pun or anything. It just helps me relax," Gabriel said quickly. Mohinder nodded, then decided to get right to the point.

"I just saw Niki. She- uh- said that you'd stopped by as well," Mohinder explained. Gabriel's face darkened.

"Yeah. I went with Peter to go see her. How- much did she tell you?" Gabriel asked, afraid of what Mohinder might know.

"I was hoping you could tell me what's the matter? I wasn't aware that you were feeling- bad."

Gabriel weighted the choices in his head. Sylar had been reduced to an eerie voice at the back of his mind, and he'd found that meditation kept him that way. Mohinder's penetrating stare made him uneasily wonder if in this universe Mohinder had a power as well. Just then, Peter appeared and stepped between them, sighing, "I think we all need to talk."

Meanwhile, Liz had dashed upstairs to see Rowan. She found the brunette teenager on her floor, crying her eyes out next to a bottle of pills. Thankfully, it was a full container with the seal still unbroken. Rowan looked at her with big, brown eyes swimming in redness. Liz immediately stooped down to help her up and give her a hug. They walked slowly over to the couches.

"Rowan, were- were you trying to kill yourself?" Liz asked. She glanced over at the bottle on the floor. Her vision zoomed in to read the label. Of course, it was an anti-depressant. Rowan, who was currently sitting next to Liz, shrugged.

"That remains to be seen," she replied shakily. She started breathing heavily and Liz gave her a hug again, "No one here sees me. Besides you, I mean."

Rowan's mind raced. She tried to talk sense, she tried and tried, but it all came out like Dr. Seuss. What had her counterpart been up to? "I'm here, I'm here. But I'm not all- there." She quoted from a movie she once saw. Perhaps they'd send her to a place that could help her. A mental hospital, hopefully. Liz just patted her back.

"I know, sweetie. You could've asked me for help. You don't need those drugs. Remember what happened to Isaac? Gabe had to make sure he'd recover- he was doing so horribly in rehab."

Rowan sighed. How could she make Liz understand that she wasn't completely crazy? She whispered loud enough for Liz to hear, "I hear the words. I have to speak them. I have to- empty my head of them…"

This time Liz looked at her eyes again. Rowan was trying to communicate something. Deep inside, the child, for that's what she truly was, was still sane. She was just hidden beneath insane thoughts and mind.

"I used to be sane. I used to. When I got here, I lost everything. My mind… my mind is buried!" Rowan cried, still not looking away from Liz's face.

_So she's much worse than I ever imagined,_ Liz thought. Perhaps she should take her to see Gabriel, since she'd ventured over there the day before, then run away. _I forgot about that! I wonder what she thought Gabriel could have helped her with._

Liz once again looked at the girl, the sane mind trapped in a madwoman's body. _Is it just me, or is everyone going out of their minds these days?_

In Rowan's head, her thoughts were drowned out with ticking. Ticking clocks, everlasting. She wondered briefly if this was insane Rowan's doing, or something of a greater power…

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**A/N: Again, if you liked it, please DO NOT hesitate to put in a vote for me on in the fanwriting section. It's Top Ten Fanfics of the month. (I know, I should be less selfish seeing as I won first last month...) But whatever. Much appreciation!!!**


	6. Breakdown

_A/N: Hey again! here's the next installment!_

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**Chapter Six- Breakdown**

Mohinder stumbled backwards. Someone had changed the outcome of events, somehow. How could Gabriel- sweet, caring, Peter-like Gabriel be a murderer?

"It's wasn't Gabriel who killed the people in his world," Peter said, trying to calm Mohinder down, "It was Sylar."

"Sylar? That really rolls off the tongue. What, did you get the name from an electronics manufacturer?" Mohinder called to Gabriel, who was standing, staring at the floor.

Gabriel opened his mouth, but al that came out was, "No, a watch." Mohinder made an exasperated noise. He looked at Peter.

"You've been harboring this- this monster, and the real Gabriel is missing in his world with a tumor in his brain!" Mohinder yelled. Peter bit his lip. He hadn't thought of that. If the tumor was growing, as tumors often do, then there was a chance that Gabriel might die.

"Well, how else to expect me to help this poor guy? If you could only hear his thoughts- they're constant battles between the different fragments of his mind. He came here because it was destined to happen!" Peter retorted. Mohinder gave him an angry stare.

"Perhaps," he began bitterly, "You should have thought that if the 'good' side could over take 'Sylar', then 'Sylar' can overtake his mind as well! All you had to do was send him back!"

"I can't send him back- I have no practice. It's not like I can just go around changing people's fates all day long! There's no one who knows how to do any of this stuff in this world anymore! And-," Peter broke off for a moment to shoot a look at Gabe, "I can't send him back. If I did, Sylar would take over again and he would be- evil. People would die, Mohinder. I can't let that happen."

Mohinder looked at Peter. His face was unreadable, as were his thoughts.

"Can you at least help me?" Gabriel asked. Both men looked at him. As they both opened their mouths to reply, there was a knock at the door.

"Hey, Gabriel, It's Liz- open up!" A voice came. Peter sighed and flicked the door open with telekinesis. There stood Rowan, distraughtly silent, with Liz standing by her side.

"Were we interrupting something?" Liz asked, walking in and setting Rowan's limp figure on the sofa. Rowan's brown eyes looked at Gabriel and narrowed. Through looking at him, she seemed to gain strength, and with that strength, came her sanity.

"Liz, this is a bad time, could you- listen, why don't you come back later," Mohinder suggested. He looked at Rowan, "What's wrong with her?"

"No, stay. Is she alright?" Gabriel asked Liz quietly.

"I'm fine."

The sane comment made everyone in the room look at her. The brunette girl closed her eyes and sighed. Liz gaped at her. Apparently her anity had gotten the better of her.

"I'm absolutely fine. Physically, anyway. Mentally- not doing too well. Wanna know why?" Rowan opened her eyes again, stood up and looked straight at Gabe, "My name's Rowan Tennyson, and I know you know me- _Sylar_."

Gabe's eyes widened. He lost control of Sylar. The background voice came front and burst out of his own mouth. Suddenly Gabriel Grey was the one inferior, suppressed, "So- Rowan, is it? Yes, I remember that name. Got it off that list of Mohinder's. You knew about me? What was your power, foresight? Please, Rowan, I'm absolutely _dying_ to hear."

Rowan glared right back at him as he began to sneer. Peter moved forward, but waited for Sylar to make a move.

"My power _used_ to be fate-bending, as a matter of fact. Until I made the mistake of wishing I had your power instead. Suddenly, I woke up here, as a little learner," Rowan's tone was spiteful, but focused.

"But how did you find out about me? Oh, was it Suresh? Warning 'them' about me was his one goal. I probably should have killed him too…" Sylar shook his head and made a tsking sound. The Mohinder to his right looked at him, "Oh, in case I haven't made it inherently clear, this is Sylar, and not that puny little Gabriel, speaking." Sylar chuckled lightly.

Rowan rolled her eyes, "Please, you're not fooling anyone. That stupid act is as close as you can get to being a real-life supervillian. Oh, and what's that? Yeah, you can't use your powers, moron!"

Gabriel wrestled Sylar's consciousness down and shoved him in the back again. Peter immediately rushed forward and grabbed him around the shoulders. Sylar's features softened into Gabe's, and he looked at the empath.

"Hey, you alright, Gabe? You lost control. Why did you lose control? Was is- was it Rowan saying his name?" Peter inquired, concerned for the safety of everyone in the room.

"Peter, are you insane? He's a madman!" Mohinder took out a needle. Peter threw it across the room and into the wall before he could do anything.

Gabriel clutched his head, "I know I lost control. It must've been the name… I should never have let him choose a name. It's like what you said. I gave him more power with that name."

Behind Peter, Rowan stood very confused, "Well, are you going to do something? He's a murderer! He's killed a ton of people!"

"NO. He changes. If you could only se his thoughts- they're wars! Sylar fights Gabriel, Gabriel suppresses Sylar, and Sylar takes back over again," Peter explained. Liz, meanwhile, was looking from Rowan to Gabriel to Peter, scared as if one of them was going to turn and devour her.

"He- you can't- you can't be defending him!" Rowan cried, tears streaming down her face, "I need you to help me!"

"Rowan. I'm not defending _him_. I'm defending the man who's standing here now. Gabriel. How would you feel if a murderer was taking over you mind? You didn't see a few days ago… We went to see Niki. Sylar began taunting him with blood, gore… The people Sylar had killed in Gabriel's body!" Peter told the stubborn teenager.

"He's always going to be here," Gabriel spoke softly, pointing to his head, "He's always going to try and take over, to gain more power. And when he doesn't have the power, he's going to try and force me out. With more killings. Oh, god, the horrible killings. The people's last words, last looks… The limpness of their bodies when they die will forever be captured in my head."

There were goose bumps on everyone's skin at that moment, and Mohinder stepped forward to face Gabriel. He stared straight-faced at him, not saying a word.

"You should have told me."


	7. If

_A/N: See prev. chapters for disclaimer. And:_

_Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 7- If**

"What do you mean I should've told you?" Gabriel recoiled slightly at Mohinder's remark of kindness. Mohinder's face did not change- it was as stony as ever. Suresh then preceded to address the group.

"I think-," he sighed, "I think Peter should at least try to help him get back to normal. Peter's right. If he learns to control Sylar, it'll mean less people dead in wherever he's from. It's not because I'm sympathetic. It's just the right thing to do… It's what Gabe- the _real_ Gabe- would have done."

"Well… I mean, why don't you take the inhibitor out?" Liz asked from the quiet corner. Rowan shuddered.

"NO! Too much damage." She babbled inconsequentially. Liz frowned. Rowan's eyes were wide- free of reason or thought. She remembered what Rowan had told her in her apartment not too long ago. How sorry she'd felt.

Rowan was thinking. Beneath her constantly chattering exterior, Rowan made crude interpretations of her surroundings. It was a strange new feeling for her, so cold and menacing, even.

She had to get her power back.

She knew how to use it- how to _control_ it. Her entire body chilled for a moment.

"If we took his inhibitor out- Sylar would be ready to take over," Peter said to Liz. The blonde shrugged.

"I really know absolutely nothing about this. It was only a suggestion."

"Gabriel- how did Sylar get those powers?" Rowan asked in a soft voice. Gabriel met her big, quite innocent looking eyes with a hollow gaze.

"Sylar- he cut their heads open. And- oh, god… no… I can't think of it. It's too horrible," Gabriel shut his eyes with a pained expression. It was too gory. Sylar's voice echoed…

Rowan nodded, appreciatively. Her mind was whirring, and she became lost in her own thoughts while her crazily wandering mind took over her tongue, "The circle. It doesn't fit together. Happy medium is missing. I have to find the paintbrush…"

She was inadvertently babbling about the picture which Gabriel had spotted before. Everyone looked at it briefly.

"Gabriel. I bought him that. He said he loved it when we stumbled into an art shop one day. Something about the two conflicts in every heart. I never knew he meant it literally…" Liz said, gazing at it. Her eyes glazed over.

Rowan took this into her calculations. Liz obviously had some sort of feeling for the Gabriel she knew. Whether Gabriel had reciprocated those feelings remained to be seen. Maybe some of the other heroes in training had noticed something. Girls liked to gossip…

Since Peter was so concerned with Gabriel, Rowan noted, he wasn't bothering with her thoughts. She smirked and stood. Liz grabbed her arm and asked her a question, to which Rowan didn't bother responding. She just walked out of the door, with Liz clinging to her arm, as if she were made of porcelain

And perhaps if Rowan were made of porcelain, she wouldn't have pondered about how bad Sylar really was. If necessary, wouldn't he have used his power for good? And the power he must have had. Jealousy coursed through Rowan's veins. Oh, the power…

In Gabriel's apartment, Peter and Mohinder talked quietly. Gabriel was rummaging through a dresser, looking for something he said was important to 'understanding how he worked'.

"I don't care how long it takes- ask Rowan to help you learn to use the power. She obviously did something to disturb the balance. Now, she needs to put it right," Mohinder said stubbornly. Peter grimaced. Gabriel emerged, carrying a book. It was very plain. A journal.

"This was this Gabriel's journal. I think- I think you should read it. If it can help- I know I'm not supposed to be here. The people where I'm from will probably kill me anyway, but I just- It's that right thing," he explained nervously. Mohinder, despite sounding as if he was being kind, only nodded.

"Thanks, Gabe, I'm sure it'll help somehow," Peter assured him, taking the book and flipping through some pages.

"So- what are we going to do?" Gabriel inquired, noting the seriousness engraved into Mohinder's face.

"I don't know- yet. But we need to work together. No matter who you were," Mohinder stated, walking toward the door. His head was beginning to hurt with all of this talk of parallel universes and opposing personalities.

Maybe if he were crazy, it might be a relief. Crazy people could understand each other. Regular people who attempted to help crazy people usually ended up like him- with a migraine.

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_A/N: Don't forget to leave comments, my dears! They help me make the story a little more interesting._


	8. Wrapped Around Your Dreams

A/N: see prev. chaps. for disclaimer.

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**Chapter 8- Wrapped Around Your Dreams**

Gabriel didn't remember falling asleep that night. He remembered where he was after he fell asleep. He was fighting- running, more like, away from Peter. At first he thought he was back where he was before he switched- but no, he wasn't in control. No one was. He was watching himself from a distance.

iOf course,/i he thought, iI'm dreaming/i. He watched himself- Sylar, that is- fall downward into an alley, smirking and laughing as he pulled out a piece of paper. The copy of the famed List. The clear New York night was the perfect backdrop for his evil scheme. The skyscrapers and apartment buildings blotted the nearly full, bright moon from the sky, leaving him in complete darkness.

Gabriel followed his body as it took off, telekinetically, hovering a clear foot off the ground. Sylar was enjoying himself. Suddenly, he looked at the paper again and thought for a moment. He was off again as he grabbed unto a wall, using his power to keep himself from falling. He scaled the building in thirty seconds flat...

And then-

He fell. He fell all the way down, obviously from loss of consciousness. And Gabriel awoke, in his own bed. In another universe.

It had been a brief memory. Only a memory, he reminded himself. What followed that was a mystery…

Liz had refused to leave her. Why? She didn't care. Rowan needed more information anyhow. Now that her previous suspicions had been confirmed she had a mission. Get her power back. And if- maybe- she i_happened/i _to gain a few i_extra/i_ powers along the way- all for the better…

This thought led Rowan into sleep. It was a normal feeling of blurriness when the dream began. A dismal gray color. Nothing serious. Then, it began to shift. Colors formed, and she remembered how she came:

She'd been playing with a plant. A cactus, actually. She had switched its fate. She watched it change, wondering how on earth she'd ended up with something so amazing as her power. At that moment, she heard the phone ring.

"Miss Tennyson? Rowan Tennyson?" a voice had asked.

"Yeah! May I ask who's calling?" she replied, quite chipper.

"This is Mohinder Suresh. I'm a geneticist. Have you discovered any abnormal qualities as of late?" This question caught her off-guard. She felt her breath stop.

"Why- why do you ask?" she answered with yet another question.

The man on the other end sighed, "I can understand if you're nervous to tell me, but you need to know that someone knows that you have your ability! There is a man- a- murderer. He kills people for their powers."

Rowan gasped. If someone knew, they'd find her. She was quite social. Her number was in the phone book, and she was everywhere on the internet. She she swallowed nervously, "What can you tell me about them?"

"His name is Gabriel Gray, but he goes by the name Sylar. He's killed, we believe, at least fifteen people so far. He's of medium height and has thick eyebrows and black hair. I advise you to go to a relative of a friends house immediately and STAY there."

"Why should I-," she began, beginning to panic, hoping it was some sort of prank call.

"Believe me? Sylar killed my father, Chandra Suresh. He almost killed me. I wish I could be joking right now, but, I'm sorry."

Rowan hung up as soon as she could muster the brainpower. She began to hyperventilate, breaths shaking. She grabbed her bag and a few clothes, as well as her cell phone. She dashed out the door and toward the elevator.

Something caught her attention. A man. He was on the outside of the building, apparently he didn't see her. He had thick eyebrows and black hair. Once again, her mind raced and she couldn't breathe, for fear that he'd look at her and know her.

This man had to be Sylar. She wished he would go away, she wished she'd gotten a different power, anything but having the power she had. She wished he hadn't become a murderer…

And she wished herself into this place. She was trapped inside a shell of insanity, wrapped around dreams and focused on getting out of the place she'd wished for in the first place. All of this was her fault. As she woke up in the morning, she realized: she got herself in all of this mess. She damn sure wasn't going to leave it up to some other person to get her out. She i_needed_/i that power back.

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A/N: Enjoy- comments are hearts!!! 


	9. Strings of Lunacy

** A/N: Hey guys- I hope you like this chapter! see prev. chapter for disclaimer, blah, blah, blah and we're off!**

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**Chapter 9- Strings of Lunacy**

Mohinder woke up early in the morning. It was dreary outside- rain pounding against the windows of the high-rise apartment building. He stretched in his very large, albeit very empty bed, and got up. A book lay on his bedside table- Gabriel's Journal. The first entry he'd read disturbed him greatly. As a matter of fact, the whole affair did.

Since he'd begun to help 'heroes' everywhere, he'd needed a new place to call home. Somewhere bigger. As a gift from Newly elected senator Nathan Petrelli, he'd received a brand new apartment. It was cleaner, bigger, and had a large room dedicated to a small amount of lab tests. It was a bit small for a proper lab, but very useful. His real lab- the one the state had given him and his team, was located in the newly built "Center of Genetic and Scientific Advancement", or, for short- "CGSA". It was a business that now ran very well. Countless Experts had lined up to work under Dr. Mohinder Suresh, now one of the most respected scientists alive. Genetic Advancement craze swept through the country- not in media form- but by word of mouth.

Since the near explosion and the exposition of the "Heroes", the public had been informed by the government of the existence of 'people with certain advanced qualities'. Then word of The List got out and it began becoming a part of everyday life, but strictly not mentioned on TV or the News, to hear mentions of the List daily. For example, there are people who tended to have an amazing talent at something- but not genetically. It was considered a compliment to their skills to say, "Are you sure you're not on the List?"

Mohinder chuckled as he wondered what would have happened if he'd stayed in India after his father's murder. He forced himself into the kitchen and was starting to make some chai for himself when the phone began to ring. He sighed an answered.

"Hello?" He yawned.

"Mohinder? Yeah, uh- so glad I got in touch with you! This is Con Knight. You said you had a question about subatomic particles? String Theory?" The voice said in an excited English voice. Mohinder recognized it as that of his friend Con.

"Oh, yes, Con, I know you've been waiting to pursue String Theory for a long time. I have a sticky situation. One of my subjects- Gabriel- you know, has had a bit of a mishap. I wanted to know if there was any way you could explain to me exactly what he can do? Your field is much different than mine. I find it hard to explain it to everyone," Mohinder replied.

"Right. Gabriel has- what I call- 'fate-bending', literally. See, he can actually manipulate the subatomic particles that make up the inter-dimensional 'strings' of matter. Not his body, but his consciousness. It's amazing. I still can't technically _prove_ it to you, I'm afraid, but it's still exciting. Why? Did he have a mishap?"

"Not really- well, sort of… Listen, Conrad, I can't really explain it right now. Maybe when I figure a few things out. You understand, right?"

"Of course-," Conrad broke off, Mohinder could hear yelling in the distance. He was probably off work- at home, "Oh, and my kid sister told me to tell you 'Hello'." Conrad's little sister was very involved in the advancement community, as she was going to school for genetics. Conrad had introduced her to Mohinder and she'd been hanging around the Center and her brother's house whenever she could in hopes that Mohinder would give her a tip or two. Mohinder had actually let her meet the group of 'heroes' and she'd been astounded. Yet another person in awe of the gifted ones.

"Well, tell her I said hello as well. Make sure she doesn't drop out- I'll need an assistant soon!" Mohinder joked. Conrad laughed and relayed the message to his sister, who apparently liked the idea of helping the most famous scientist around.

He hung up and, to his horror, his doorbell rung. He groaned and ran to grab a shirt. He answered to find Rowan standing in the hallway. She looked a little distant, but otherwise coherent.

"Well, hello Rowan. How can I help you?" Mohinder greeted her. She looked up with a smile.

"Oh, well- I had a few questions." Rowan smiled sweetly. Mohinder motioned for her to come in and she followed.

"Wow- your place is much bigger than mine. I like it," she remarked. Mohinder laughed.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Mohinder inquired. She shrugged with one shoulder.

"I guess I'm a little confused. It's just a silly thing. Where are the DNA cells that make us special? Because one of the others told me that Peter died a few times- he had something in his head. Is that where the genes are?" Rowan asked.

"Yes, they are. That's where I found the certain genes that just bend you from ordinary to extraordinary," Mohinder told the teenager. She smiled, but then, her smile slipped away.

"Is my power important? I mean, I can't fly or do anything special. I just know how things work."

Mohinder took a deep breath, "Of course your power is special. You're very important to the scientific community- well, even the normal community."

"I just- sometimes I don't _feel_ special. I feel no 'magic rush' when I look at something that needs to be fixed like I felt when I used my power in the other place. I didn't help save the world… But my consciousness seems a little crazy…" Rowan collapsed unto the nearest couch with a sigh.

Mohinder didn't know what to say to the girl. She was obviously a little jealous of the others. So, he did what any good tea-lover would do: offer her some hot Chai (well, maybe not all tea-lovers would have offered her Chai, but you get the gist).

She accepted a cup with gratitude. She thought for a moment. Obviously her little jealousy fit was working. Maybe- just maybe she could get what she wanted.

"Do you think- do you think I could leave town for a while?" she asked.

The geneticist bit his lip, "Well, I'm sure we could arrange a small retreat. But in the circumstances, we'd have to send a Chaperone with you."

_Perhaps he'll send Peter. I hope not. He annoys me, _Rowan thought. She took a sip of Chai, "Of course. Whatever would be- necessary."

Mohinder looked at the girl once again. She was a sweet girl, from what he could tell, and she was just a victim of circumstance. Caught in a string of lunacy- between two minds. From reading Gabriel's diary, he'd gotten used to the idea.

After making some arrangements for Rowan to leave for a small town in Pennsylvania, he sent her off. As he closed the door he thought to himself, _Alternate universes, people who control them, madness and sanity- oh, and a little teenage angst. What have I gotten myself into?_

Unfortunately for him, he didn't know exactly what he'd gotten into- yet. Rowan was to be sure of that. And she was going to take full advantage of it.

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**A/N: Yup, please leave reviews for they are the light of my day, and I hope all of you continue to read! Thanks! **


	10. Give Me One Reason

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! Enjoy and review, people!**

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**Chapter 10- Give Me One Reason**

It was three days until Niki received another visit from Gabriel. This time, he was alone. Niki was feeling much better as they had decided to let up on the drugs. She was still getting used to the feeling of not talking to Jessica in her mind. It was silent. Perfect.

Gabriel on the other hand looked exhausted. As if he hadn't gotten any sleep. After his memory spasm Sylar had shown him pictures of more victims. A ruck driver, a security guard… even his own mother. His mother had raised him on good morals. Typical. Poor, but typical. In the end, Sylar took control when he was down. His mother could have helped him. She almost did.

Until Sylar took control. His destruction and rage wreaked havoc… Especially on Gabe's state of mind. He'd been controlling Sylar well, but he was gaining strength with every passing day. The people who were friends with Gabe here were even starting to fear him. Except Niki. She must have had the same problem with Jessica, who'd apparently lost control completely.

"Niki. I have to tell you something," Gabriel said softly, kneeling beside the bed, as if Niki were a priest, not some mother who was having a few issues with her brain. She looked down at him worriedly.

"What's wrong, Gabriel? Tell me. It helps," Niki suggested, reaching down to put a hand on his shoulder. He was still distraught. When she touched him, she realized that he was shaking.

"Sylar's getting stronger. He slips out more often now. Even if I meditate. Nothing's working. Niki, please help me," Gabriel said, looking down at the floor._** I slip out? Gabriel, I'm meant to be out. You're in my way.**_

"Shut up Sylar!" Gabriel tore out of Niki's grip before she could say anything.

"Gabriel. You're stronger than him. I KNOW you can fight him. If I could beat Jessica with a little help, you can defeat Sylar with just as much help.

Gabriel only stared blankly. He leaned against the bed, "I don't _feel_ stronger."

"Neither did I. Gabe… Your other self killed people in your world, right?" Niki asked tentatively. She knew she was standing on unstable ground, metaphorically speaking. Gabriel only nodded in pain, his eyes closed, "Don't you want to- I don't know, find a way to- possibly… fix it?"

Gabriel opened his eyes again. He nodded again and stood up. "I can fix it. I HAVE to fix it." Niki stood up. She'd been growing stronger.

"I believe in you, Gabe. So does Peter." Niki reassured Gabriel. The corners of his mouth twitched. He was smiling.

"Time to go, buddy," Peter told him, appearing out of thin air. Gabriel jumped a little, but Niki smiled calmly, as if she'd known he was there all along. Niki hugged both Gabriel and Peter before they left, and shook her head. Hopefully, Peter was right about Gabriel.

--On the way home

"So- Rowan's leaving for some small town in Pennsylvania for a while," Peter said conversationally. He looked at Gabriel for a reaction.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I know what her power is like… it's a little scary. You aren't sending her with anyone weak, are you?" Gabriel asked, looking at Peter. Peter laughed, which was a good change for once.

"You're turning into _our_ Gabriel, I swear. That's exactly what he'd say. No, we're sending her with Liz. She's good with Rowan." Peter got off of the elevator they were on and onto Gabe's floor. Gabriel followed, albeit hesitantly. When they reached his door, they were a little surprised to see the door open. Liz was sitting in the living room with Rowan, and they were arguing.

"Rowan, you haven't had anything to eat, are you sure you're not hungry?" Liz asked loudly. Apparently Rowan had been avoiding meals for a while.

"I'm NOT hungry. I TOLD you," Rowan replied bitterly. Her long brown hair was swept behind an ear and she glanced up at Gabe and Peter standing in the doorway.

"Is- everything alright?" Peter asked, glancing at Liz. Liz motioned at Rowan exasperatedly.

"She thinks I'm anorexic." Rowan said, shaking her head. She looked at Gabriel, or, more accurately, his watch, "Hey- did you know your watch is broken?"

Gabe opened his mouth to say something when Rowan jumped up and snatched his watch away. In an instant she had it open and was examining the insides. _Like I- Like Sylar did to all those people…_ Gabriel couldn't help but think. Suddenly he was reminded of his mother again. How she'd tried to make him get a 'real' job.

"Peter… Is my mother alive?"

Peter looked at his friend, confused. Maybe she'd died where he was from, "Yes. Is she dead there?"

Gabriel took his time to look at Peter in the eye, "I killed her. It was an accident. Sylar got control when I wanted to ask her for help…"

Gabe was suddenly aware that everyone was looking at him. He looked yet again at the painting on the wall. Liz was the most disturbed. She tried to say something, but nothing came out.

Finally, she broke the silence, "You killed- you killed your mom?" Liz could only picture her friend, Gabriel, not the murderer that had been described. Another very extended pause followed. Rowan stood up and handed Gabriel his watch back. Gabriel could see his own evil glint in her eye, but then it was gone.

"I'm sorry, Gabe. I know it must have been an accident," Liz recovered by smiling at him and looking away.

"Um- excuse me guys, I have to make a call," Peter announced and exited the room. Peter walked out and made sure no one else could hear him as he pulled out his cellphone. He dialed Mohinder's phone number. The scientist answered sleepily.

"Mohinder, it's Peter. Listen… Gabe said he's worried about Rowan going on that trip," Peter explained.

"And? If it's important, tell me," Mohinder replied.

"Well, it's just- I caught one of Rowan's thoughts. I think she might be plotting to hurt someone. Gabriel said her ability is the one he had, the one that made Sylar powerful. I think maybe she might- kill Liz."

"Kill Liz? Well, we need to send someone strong enough to stop her, then. What do you propose we do?"

"I have an idea…" Peter said, contemplatively.


End file.
